Why is my cat pooping less often in litter box with outdoor access?

Poor girl. It sounds very likely Lola has an internal problem causing her to have an accident outside the box as well as a decrease in her appetite. This could very well be constipation, since constipated cats will strain and can often-times get nausea causing them to eat less or even vomit sometimes. I would highly recommend getting her seen by your vet soon to have her fully evaluated via physical exam to see if constipation is the underlying cause for her illness. If it is, then the vet will likely get her on a stool softener and recommend fluids to hydrate her. I hope that Lola's condition improves soon! Best of luck and take care.

It sounds as Coco is suffering from a gastrointestinal condition, possibly an infection. it could also be due to ingestion of a foreign body material. i would recommend taking him to the vet the first chance you get, he will need to be checked first, if the vet thinks it's a simple gastrointestinal infection he will need an anti vomiting injection, antibiotics and a special food for a few days in order to get better.

There are a few things to consider; some cats will go in the corner of the litter box, so they end up hanging their tush over the edge and it goes out of the box. You could try a litter box with a cover or with high sides to see if that helps. The size of the box and ease of entry is something else to consider. If she is still small enough that she has to leap into something that she can't see into, getting in the box may be a bit daunting. Make sure the has an approachable entry for her. Also consider if you changed the type or brand of cat litter. Some cats can be very picky. Go back to the old brand if you have switched. If you have not made a change it cat litter, you can also try a cat litter called Cat Attract-- its a brand of cat litter that most cats accept very well. Another thing to keep in mind is other cats and the location of the boxes. If you have multiple cats, make sure that you have enough litter boxes. If you have 2 cats, have 3 boxes. If you have 4 cats, have 5 boxes. I know that seems like a lot, but its the best way to prevent negative cat interactions near a litter box, and avoid them feeling territorial. If you have an older cat, the box may have been "occupied" when she needed to go, or she may have been intimidated by the other cat being nearby and didn't want to get in a confrontation. To be thorough, I would also recommend that you take her to your vet to see if there's any medical issue going on that could be contributing. Take a stool sample with you. If she has intestinal parasites or other causes of inflammation in her intestine, she could be having some urgency that doesn't allow her to quite get into the box. Also, if she is painful somewhere, she may be trying to avoid getting up into the box. I hope that helps you. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this frustrating problem! I'm glad to hear that she is reliably peeing in the box, but pooping outside the box is also, of course, problematic. Have there been any changes in the home that she might perceive as stressful? Any new pets, a major change in your schedule, holiday visitors, etc. All of these things could contribute to this type of behavior. Make it a point to spend a few minutes a day with her, just giving her attention. Engage her in play with a wand type toy, or just sit and pet her and chat to her. Sometimes some reassurance can be really beneficial. Also, make sure there is a litter box on every level of your home, (every story--basement, main floor, upstairs, etc) and if you have multiple cats, the number of litter boxes should be the# of cats plus 1. ( so 3 boxes if you have 2 cats). If she's not been to the vet for this issue, take her in. If she has arthritis, etc or is otherwise painful, pooping may be uncomfortable and therefore she may not be completely "finishing" when she is in the box. Or, its also possible that she may have a neurologic condition that is affecting her ability to know when she needs to poop in time to get to the box. Here are a couple of articles you may find helpful as well. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/litter-box-problems https://www.petcoach.co/article/inappropriate-elimination-urination-defecation-spraying-in/ Thank you for asking PetCoach!

Is this a new behavior? Is the stool firm and hard? If it is firm and hard then it may be from her being constipated. If it is soft and she has diarrhea, she can have intestinal parasites or she could have eaten something that upset her stomach. I would recommend having a stool sample performed to make sure there are no parasites and to see the consistency of the stool. If the veterinarian says everything is fine then I would use at least 2 litter boxes with clumping litter. Make sure you have a box on each level. I would also consider medication to help with the behavior. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi. Poor Zuzu. Usually when kitties defecate, or urinate, outside the box, they are trying to tell us something, if she isn't urinating, that is definitely a concern. Most likely though, she is going somewhere or she would be a lot sicker. I recommend getting her seen as soon as you can. In older kitties, some of the common problems we see include kidney disease, high thyroid, cardiac disease, diabetes, UTI's, or cancers. So in a case like this, blood and urine will help us rule a lot of those out. So to start I recommend an exam and labwork. Good luck

I agree with your doc about an extra litter box or two. I always recommend at least one more than the number of cats. I do not think placing the feces in her box will help at all. It is a good sign that she is urinating in the box. I would be anxious to know what kind of food she is on and the consistency of her feces. Is she constipated or having loose stools, for example. I would start by trying the extra litter boxes and then go from there.